Fire extinguishing apparatus



May 16, 1933. P.. L. GUMAER FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l vwemtoz @391 awe 014 I W MMVM.

May 16, 1933. P. L. GUMAER FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-$heet Filed 001:. 29 1930 v Q 090E Patented ll/flay is. less y 1,909,532

ares ar EIERRE L. G'U'MAER, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TEXAS COMPANY OF IKTEVI YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FIR-E EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Application filed October 29, 1930. Serial No. 491,848.

My invention relates to fire extinguishing In carrying out my invention I have pro apparatus, more particularly to a portable vided a pipe for conveying the foam to the pipe system for use in applying a fire eX- upper rim of the tank and a second shorter tinguishing material, such as foam, to the pipe pivotally connected at the upper end surface of oil or other inflammable substance of the first pipe for conveying the foam 5 confined in a storage tank, and has for its downward to within a short distance from object the provision of a portable pipe systhe surface of the burning oil. in order to tem which is simple to construct and assemble raise the pipe into operative position, I have and which may be used with safety by those provided a portable pole, sometimes termed engaged in extinguishing the fire. a gin pole, for engaging and raising the pipe t has recently been found, and is now as the latter is moved toward the burning generally recognized, that foam blankets for tank, I have further provided means for extinguishing oil tank fires are much more O C g the first and second pipes rigid or effective if the foam is applied close to the alignment while they are being elevated surface of the oil instead of being admitted into position. at the top of the tank and allowed to fall F r a better understanding of my invento the oil surface. Several schemes have been tion reference may be had to the accompanydevised to permit the application of the foam lng drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows the equip- :it the oil surface, but most of these are perlne t before being elevated, Fig. 2 shows the 20 manent in nature, being constructed as a piping being raised, while Fig. 3 shows the part of the tank. Such equipment is necesq lpment in operative position. Fig. 4 sarily ex iensive, inasmuch as every tank shows a plan View of the piping and the gin nust be so equipped, and furthermore there 1 18 as laid out on the ground preparatory is a considerable amount of maintenance exto being raised; Fig. 5 is a side view taken 25 pense to be Xpected with the permanent type on the line 5-5 of Fig. i; Fig. 6 is a plan of equipment. There is also danger of some V ew Of the apparatus showing its relation portion of it being destroyed by the fire or to the tank; Fig. 7 is a detail view taken on by explosion before the fire extinguishing line 77 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are deequipment can be brought into service. tail ews taken On lines 88 and 9-9, re-

30 The portable equipment which I have inpe iv ly, Of Fig. 5; Figs. 10 and 11 are side vented is applicable to any vertical storage views showing the means for engaging the tank, provided that there is no roof or that pipe by the gin pole, while Fig. 12 is an enthe roof is sufiiciently damaged to admit the larged view taken from the inside of the tank equipment. The equipment may be successshowing the piping in operative position.

fully used even if the upper sheets on the Referring to the drawings, I have illustank are severely deformed and have fallen trated my invention as applied in connecto some extent into the fire. Another feation with a vertical tank 10 used for the ture in connection with my invention is that storage of an inflammable substance 11, such the men who put the pipe into the tank need as oil or the like. A fire bank 12 is shown as 40 not approach any closer to the tank than surrounding the tank 10,but it is to be undert he tank is high; that is, if the tank on fire stood that my invention is equally applicable is 35 feet high and the center of the fire bank to a tank notsurrounded by a fire bank.

is not more than 35 feet from the shell of The equipment of my invention comprises the tank, the men need not go inside of the three main parts: a foam pipe 13, a foam fire bank put the foam pipe into the tank. drop pipe 14 and a portable pole 15, some This is an important feature, since there is times termed a gin pole and used for raising always considerable danger that the oil may the pipes 13 and 1a into operative position.

boil over and thus burn. anyone who might The foam pipe 13 is formed of one or more be near the tank and within the confines of sections of pipe joined together to form a the fire bank. I rigid conduit for conveying the foam from aposition on the ground up to the upper rim or edge of the tank 10. One end of the foam pipe 13 is preferably bent, as at 16, and is closed by a suitable cap or the like 17. A short distance from this end, a pair of spikes 18, separated by a space bar 19, are secured by welding or otherwise to the foam pipe 13. These spikes serve to prevent the foam pipe from sliding backward while it is being elevated to operative position. A plurality of hose couplings 20 are secured to the pipe 13, these couplings being adapted for attachment to a source of foam or other fire extinguishin g material. A short distance from the hose couplings 20 a bar 21 is secured to the foam pipe 13, this bar serving as a handle to be used when raising or otherwise moving the foam pipe. At the end of the foam pipe 13 opposite from the spikes 18 a double-bent or Siamese connection 22 is secured, and in this double bent connection is attached a swing 'l' 23.

In order that the foam may be led to a point near the surface of the burning oil, the foam drop pipe 14 is provided, one end of this pipe being threaded into the swing T 23 so as to have a swivel or pivotal connection with the foam pipe 13. The foam drop pipe 14 is preferably made of several short sections of pipe so that its length may be varied so as to be slightly less than the distance from the top of the tank down to the surface of the burning oil. At the end of the foam drop pipe 14 opposite from the swing T 23 a T 24 is secured and in this T are threaded a pair of short nipples 25, which are preferably cut at an angle such as is illustrated more clearly in Fig. 12.

It is desirable that the foam drop pipe 14 be held rigidly in alignment with the foam pipe 13 while the pipes are being elevated into position, and to this end I have provided a supporting rod or pipe 26 securely afliXed to the foam drop pipe 14 by means of a pair of clamps 27, one of these clamps being shown clearly in Figure 8. One end of the supporting member 26 extends beyond the double-bent connection and is adapted to be engaged in the bifurcated end 28 of a clamp 29 securely affixed to the foam pipe 13. The clamp 29 is shown clearly in Fig. 9.

In order to raise the pipes 13 and 14 into the position shown in Fig. 2, T have provided the portable gin pole 15, this pole having a skid 30 secured at one end for bearing against the surface of the ground. The gin pole is also formed of several sections of rod or pipe and in each case these sections are to be assembled so that the pole will be slightly longer than the height of the tank 10. To the other end of the gin pole 15 a holding member 31 is secured, this holdingmember 31 being provided with a pair of fingers 32 adapted to engage the T 24 and nipples at the end of the foam drop pipe 14. A suitable bracket 33 is secured to the gin pole 15 and to this bracket are fastened a pair of guy wires or ropes 34 for attachment to a pair of stakes 35 in order to support the gin pole while it is being raised. Suitable ropes 36 are also attached to the foam pipe 13 to be used in raising the pipes into position. An other rope 37 is secured to the gin pole 15 or to the skid to be used in pulling the gin pole away from the tank after the pipes have been raised.

lVhen my invention is to be used in applying foam to a tank fire, the various sections of the gin pole 15 are assembled to give the required length and the skid end of the gin pole is pushed up to the base of the tank 10 by the men standing on the fire bank 12 or at a distance from the tank equal to its height. The end of the rope 37 attached to the skid 30 is kept outside of the fire bank. The stakes are then driven in the ground outside of the fire bank on a line tangential to the tank at the point where the skid 30 touches the shell, and the two guy wires are made fast to these stakes, leaving only a small amount of slack in the wires 34. The foam drop pipe 14 is now made up as before stated to be slightly shorter than the distance between the upper rim of the tank and the oil level, and is then connected to the swing T 23. lVith the supporting rod 26 in place and above the pipes 13 and 14, these two pipes become efiectively one rigid pipe without any movement of the swing T 23 when the pipes are supported at the bent portion 16 and at th T 24. The men now lift the end of the foam drop pipe 14 near the l 24 and place the T between the fingers 32 and within the holding member 31, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 10. The equipment is now ready to be elevated into position and is as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings.

Several men now lift the holder end of the gin pole which carries the T 24 of the foam drop pipe and the other men push toward the tank on the handle 21, While as many other man as are required pull toward the tank on the ropes 36. The spikes 18 will dig into the ground and prevent the pipes from falling or sliding backward if for any reason the men should slacken or discontinue their pulling. The holder end of the gin pole now travels in the path indicated by the dotted line 38 in Fig. 2 until it strikes the top of the tank, and at that moment the force exerted by the men on the ground causes the T 24 to slide out of the holder 34 and pass on over the edge of the tank shell, as shown in Figs. 2 and 11. The gin pole 15 may now be re moved by pulling on the rope 37 and may then be pulled away from the tank and used in another location in case of a large fire or when more than one foam stream is required. The supply of foam should now be connected to the foam pipe 13 at the hose lid couplings 20 and the foam pipe 13 is then pushed further until the greater part of the foam drop pipe 14 has passed over the edge of the tank. The weight of that portion of the foam drop pipe will then cause it to swing downward about the swing T 23 and the foam drop pipe quickly assumes the vertical position inside of the tank 10 as shown in Figs. 3 and 12. The supporting member 26 lifts out of the bifurcated clamp 29 during the swinging movement, but being rigidy secured to the drop pipe 14, the supportin member will stand vertically when the drop pipe is vertical, thus indicating to the men on the ground that the foam drop pipe is in the desired position. Should the foam drop pipe become fouled on some damaged member in the tank during the swinging operation, the supporting member 26 would stand at an angle and indicate the situation to the men on the ground.

The flow of foam should be started immediately after the foam drop pipe l l has fallen into position in order to prevent undue heating and burning of the pipe and the foam will pass up the inclined foam pipe 13 through the bends 22 and swing T 23, down the foam drop pipe ll and out through the nipples onto the surface of the burning oil. The foam is thus released close to the surface of the oil and does not fall any appreciable distance to the fire.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and capable of being used in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pipe, a second pipe, a pivotal connection between said pipes, means for raising said pipes into predetermined position, means for holding said second pipe in alignment with said first mentioned pipe while said pipes are being raised, and fluid inlet and outlet connections for said pipes.

2. In a device of the class described, a pipe, a second pipe pivotally attached to one end of said first mentioned pipe, means for raising said pipes into a predetermined elevated position, means for maintaining said second pipe rigid with said first pipe until said pipes have been raised into said posit-ion, and means for attaching said first mentioned pipe to a source of fire extinguishing material.

3. In a portable pipe system for applying foam to an oil tank fire, a foam pipe adapted to be connected to a source of foam, a foam drop pipe, a swivel connection between said foam pipe and said foam drop pipe, means at one end of said for raising said foam pipe into position against said tank, comprising an elongated pole member adapted to engage the ground at one end and said foam drop pipe at the other end, and means for holding said pipes rigid while said foam pipe is being raised.

4. In a device for applying foam to an oil tank fire, a foam pipe, a second pipe adapted to be connected to a source of foam, a pivotal connection between said pipes, means for raising said pipes into a predetermined position against said tank, means for holding said second pipe in alignment with said foam pipe while said pipes are being raised, said holding means comprising a rod secured in parallel relation to said second pipe and extending be yond said pivotal connection, and a bracket secured to said foam pipe and having an upwardly extending bifurcated end for engagement with the extended end of said rod.

5. In a portable pipe system for applying foam to an oil tank fire, a foam pipe, coupling foam pipe adapted to be attached to a source of foam supply, a foam drop pipe, means for elevating said foam drop pipe against said tank, means for maintaining said foam drop pipe in alignment with said foam pipe while said foam drop pipe is being elevated, and a pivotal connection between said foam drop pipe and the other end of said foam pipe arranged so that said foam drop pipe may assume a substantially vertical position after being pushed over the edge of said tank.

6. In a portable pipe system for applying foam to an oil tank fire, a foam pipe, a connection at one end of said foam pipe adapted to be attached to a source of foam supply, a foam drop pipe, means for elevating said pipes into operative position against said tank, a pivotal connection between said foam drop pipe and said foam pipe arranged so that said foam drop pipe may assume a substantially vertical position over the edge of said tank, and means for holding said foam drop pipe in alignment with said foam pipe while said pipes are being moved into operative position.

7 In a portable pipe system for applying a fire extinguishing liquid to a tank containing a burning substance, a pipe adapted to be connected to a source of supply of said liquid, a second pipe pivotally secured to one end of said first mentioned pipe, means including a portable pole member for engaging the ground and said second pipe to raise said pipes into an elevated position when-force is exerted on said first mentioned pipe in a longitudinal direction, means for holding said second pipe in rigid relation to said first mentioned pipe while said pipes are being raised, means secured to one end of said first mentioned pipe for holding said pipe in fixed relation with the ground after said pipes have been raised to said elevated position, and guy after being pushed Wires secured to said pole to hold said pole in position.

8. In a portable pipe system for applying foam to the surface of burning oil in a storage tank, a foam pipe, couplings at one end of said pipe adapted to be connected with a source of foam supply, a double-bent connection at the other end of said foam pipe, a swing T in said connection, a foam drop pipe attached to said swing T, a secured to the other end of said foam dr p pipe, a pair of nipples secured to said i, a gin pole, a holding member secured at one end of said gin pole and adapted to engage said last mentioned T, and means for holding said foam drop pipe in alignment with said foam pipe While said pipes are being elevated into operative position.

9. In a portable pipe system for applying foam to the surface of burning oil in a storage tank, a foam pipe, couplings at one end of said pipe adapted to be connected with a source of foam supply, a double bent connection at the other end of said foam pipe, a swing T in said connection, a foam drop pipe attached to said swing T, a "i" secured to the other end of said foam drop pipe, a pair of nipples secured to said T, a gin pole, a holding member secured at one end of said gin pole and adapted to engage said last mentioned T, and means for holding said foam drop pipe in alignment with said foam pipe while said pipes are being elevated into operative position, said means comprising clamp members affixed to said y foam drop pipe, a supporting member secured to said clamp members, and a bifurcated clamp member secured to said foam pipe and adapted to be engaged by one end of said supporting member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16 day of October, 1930.

PIER-RE L. GUMAER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,909,532. May 16, 1933.

PIERRE L. GUMAER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as foiiows: Page 3, lines 73 and 74, claim 4, strike out the words adapted to be connected to a source of foam and insert the same after "pipe" first occurrence in line 73; same page, line 87, claim 5, before "coupling" insert the article "a"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of August, A. i). 1933.

M, J, Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

